Love Can Heal Me
by ImagineImpossibilities
Summary: Meeting the love of your life is rough. Tears are shed. Hearts are broken, but they all can be healed with love. Not everyone lives a "perfect" life. Abuse can corrupt someone beyond belief. If you show them kindness and compassion they will slowly but surely heal. Pairing: USUK. Warning: Near character death, violence, (A/N Don't read 1 or 2 chapter if you read original.)
1. Chapter 1

I sat in the park, like I always did in the afternoons. I enjoyed feeling the sun kiss my skin on days like this, but any weather was fine; like when it was snowing, raining,or sunny, I liked sitting here in any weather. It was always quiet. A nice change. My home was loud. Full of plates smashing, yelling, really it was anything that would scare any normal person. This was the only place where I had my thoughts and only my thoughts. Home was where I was thrown, hit, and abused. So, in result, everyday after work, I come here. I know that my folks wouldn't care even if I were to die in a car accident.

It was sunset. A place where the sky would glow a light pink and started to fall asleep behind the mountains. I loved having quietness everywhere. Not a car in sight for miles. The park was abandoned, but it was still clean and unbroken. I could hear the trees rustling around me as if telling their story.

I sat there until late. When I was finally home from the long walk, my parents were no where to be seen but could be heard from a mile away. This was normal in my life. I grew up around it. Kind of a bad example to set for your child. Because of this I never got too close to people in fear that they would hurt me.

I took in a deep breath as I stood on my porch and took a step in. Right in the kitchen, exactly where I had expected them to be. They took no notice to me, but I still quietly mumbled a greeting to them. I had no clue what they were fighting about this time but it always would end up with me getting hurt in some way. At this thought I walked up to my room. Before I got there, my dad stopped me and pulled on my wrist to get me closer to him. I winced in pain.

"Look, Cherri! Look at him! HE. IS. WORTHLESS!" my father screamed. I was slightly taken back by the comment but I refused to let my emotions show.

"No, Darian. You look here, you bastard! He may be worthless in all ways, shapes, and form, and I could care less if he just died here and now! But I think he should just leave before I change my mind!" mom retorted. I decided it was the smart thing to just keep quiet and allow them to blow off some steam. My feet wouldn't let me move anyways. I was just too shocked by all their comments. They were talking as if I wasn't even in the room. Dad's gripped loosened on my wrist as if he actually forgot I existed. I took this chance to slip away to my room where I could be alone, but I could still hear the yelling downstairs.

This continued for the next few hours. The house was still for a while. My parents probably fell asleep from the bickering. It was around 6:30 A.M. it started back up again. I stayed in my room, hoping that it would keep me somewhat safe. At around 7:00, the door slammed. I assumed that one of them had gone off to work.

Once again, the house was still, but that time was in vain. I heard steps coming up the stairs. I pulled the covers over my head, pretending that I was still asleep. My room door opened and my covers were ripped off of me. I tucked my legs into my chest from the sudden change in temperature. When I looked up, I saw my dad with a fierce look on his face. Without a sound, I was pulled out of my bed and onto the floor. This action was new to me, so I had no clue what was going to happen.

"You damned, little shit, you," his voice was deep as his blue eyes looked down at me with pure hatred. "If it wasn't for you, I could have been happy. I would have been happy if you never came into this world!" His foot came in contact with my abdomen causing me to cough. Dad kept repeating this motion until I was coughing up blood. I continued to cough up blood even as he stopped kicking me. At this point, his large hands grabbed my shirt collar and brought his fist up to his ear. I closed my eyes before it made any contact. It felt like my nose became inverted. It started to bleed, too. This time his punches were not concentrated in a single area, but hitting any place he thought would hurt the most. Soon, all this stopped. He left me lying on the floor, drenched in my own blood. Through the whole episode, I had not peeped a single sound besides the coughing. When he left the room, he looked at me, "don't come out of this room until you are told. Got that you shit?"

I gulped and nodded. For a while, I just sat there in agonizing pain. I couldn't take any pain pills or wrap my wounds, so I was just bleeding out. My lip was bleeding and a black eye was forming over most of my left eye and extended across my whole nose and half of my right. There was a bruise on my stomach. It was already a dark shade of purple when I took off my shirt. It made a shock of pain sizzle through my body. I willed myself to change from my night wear to my normal clothing of a short sleeve t-shirt with a jacket over it and a pair of long dark jeans accompanied by old, worn knock-off converse. I had a hat cover my head. It was a lilac colour, like my little brother's eyes. He ran away from home, not being able to take all the violence. His name was Matthew. I was his twin.

To be honest, I really do miss him, but this was better than what he could have ever asked. I would never want him to suffer through all that I have. When we were eight, he told me that he was going to run away. He wanted me to come with him. I did try to run with him, but I was the only one who got caught. I sacrificed myself in order to keep him safe. I guess you could say that I was a hero, or something. When I was caught, someone always had an eye on me in case I tried to sneak out again. I knew that Mattie was fragile, so I couldn't stand him getting hurt. Right before I was caught, we promised to meet somewhere if we were ever separated. We decided an old willow tree near the middle of the forest. I could never bring myself to go there, though. I couldn't risk getting found out. Mattie never broke a promise, though, so I was eventually able to get there without being followed by anyone. As I expected, he was sitting there on the bench I sat on at the park on a regular basis now. I told him that he couldn't come here everyday because it was too dangerous, and I couldn't come with him because our parents had put a tracker on me. The only reason I could get away was because I destroyed the thing they kept track of me. I knew I was going to get it bad when I got home in the morning. Since we couldn't meet at all, I promised him that once we turned 18 years old, we would come back here and finally get away for life. So, I haven't seen him for almost nine and a half years. Once I gained a little more freedom, meaning that I no longer had a tracker on me, I went straight there to see that Mattie left notes to reassure me that he was alright.

Time had finally caught up with me. I spent the whole day on my bed thinking about Mattie and what had happened. It was around 4:50 when the door of my room opened again. My father was there. I lied still. His fist came in contact with my right eye, making that one black as well. I expected more from him but nothing came. "Get out of my sight, shit," his eyes pierced my soul, "don't ever come around here again or I swear I will not hesitate to kill you and that shit brother for yours… Assuming he is alive." He snickered behind his hand.

When I heard this, my eyes widened in surprise. As he left, I got up as quickly as I could and started to pack some things that were precious to me and Mattie. I had a small black backpack and put two changes of clothes in it(including Texas(his glasses)), Mattie's hockey puck, and my baseball. I had also grabbed Mattie's hockey stick knowing that he would want it back when I saw him in 6 and a half months. I ran, well walked quickly, out of the front door without saying goodbye.

"Shit, come back here and leave your stuff at the front door." I did as I was told and quickly limped towards dad, "I think that I wanna give you one final kick down before you leave. Consider it my goodbye." There was an evil glint in his eyes. I couldn't stand for this, I was finally free. I didn't have to stand for this abuse anymore. When he grabbed my wrist, I pulled it back. Shocked as he was, he got closer and grabbed my chin to pull it up. I was now looking in to his bright blue eyes. "Now, won't you be good for your dear ol' daddy?" I only looked away.

Anger filled the man's eyes. His hands gripped my shirt. His right fist continuously smashed in to my stomach. I fell to the floor, gripping my stomach. A smile crossed his face. My stomach was kicked over and over again. I was coughing blood again. Every now any then he "accidentally" kicked my chest. He then picked me up by my hair and slammed me against the wall causing my head to start bleeding ever so slightly. Out of nowhere, he pulled out a leather whip. It was long and thin. I didn't want to think about what was going to happen next. My eyes closed as the whip started to make gashes all along my back. I was too terrified to scream, so any sounds I tried to make just came out as small gasps. When he stopped, I felt relieved. That feeling did not last long. I blanked out for a second.

When I came back to my senses, my hands were handcuffed to two pipes. They were on much too tight, so when I adjusted my position, they rubbed against my skin and felt as if they got tighter.

The room was familiar, but only a little. I probably only came here once or twice. The walls were a dark grey and there were no windows and only one door. There was a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the room slightly. In the corner, was a human looking figure. Male and buff-looking. In his hands held the same whip that dad used on me, so I could only assume that the figure was my father. Tears were forming at my eyes. I didn't want this to happen.

The man finally appeared under the light, allowing me to see him clearly. It was infact my dad. He walked over to me and pulled up my chin. His mouth came over to my ear, "oh, how much fun are we going to have now… Alfred…" My body started to tremble. His tongue licked the side of my ear. Shivers coursed through my body, but I still couldn't move.

My father's hands snaked down to the hem of my pants. I knew what he was going to do and I was terrified out of my mind. As soon as his hands got to the hem, he quickly pulled them away. His grip on the whip got tighter as he stepped back and started to slash the front of my body. My clothes turned into nothing but shreds of cloth drenched in my own blood.

I was glad when he stopped, but I knew that it was far from over. My pants were practically non-existent anymore, exposing my body to the man I will never consider my father again. The boxers I wore were still there covering up the one area that I did not want this foul man to see. Although against my silent protests, he slip them over my blood covered legs. The air around us was cold but dense. Darian smiled inwardly.

His tongue started at my earlobe and traveled down my stomach to my nether regions. I gasped my the new stinging feeling. Before he did anything, he uncuffed one of my hands to flip me over. I was now face to face with a wall and a series of pipes.

A hand traced the scars on my back all the way down to my ass. The hand then groped it. I let out a moan. "Do you like this, boy?" I didn't speak. "Answer me, boy!" He demanded. I still refused to answer him. "Fine, I guess I'll have to use force to get an answer out of ya." A ball attached to a piece of leather was shoved into my mouth and tied at the back of my head. Suddenly, something thrust into my ass. I tried to scream, but the ball in my mouth was restricting me. It kept shoving in and out of me. When I looked back, I was somewhat relieved to see that Darian did not use his own body parts. It still hurt like hell. Tears were rolling down my face and made small puddles on the floor. My heart was beating faster and faster with every thrust. I just wanted it to end. Soon, I felt something squirt inside my ass. That was when the object was finally taken out of my butt.

I looked down to see massive amounts of blood pouring out of my body along with some clear gel. My eyes widened in shock. My whole body was numb and cold. I slumped where I was. A bundle of clothes were tossed my way and the handcuffs were taken off. Without a word I changed into the new clothes. When I thought I was able to leave, the handcuffs were back on my wrists holding my hands in place behind my back. Darian lead me to the door and covered my eyes with a piece of cloth. The ball was still in my mouth. I was lead somewhere, which I was hoping was the house I used to live in.

When my eyes were uncovered and the ball was removed, I took in a few deep breaths. I was back at the house. My former father forced me onto the ground and slashed me with the whip several more times. It felt like I was there forever, but in reality, I was only there for a few minutes. When he stopped he un cuffed my wrists and headed back to the couch.

"Get out of my sight… And never come back." He turned around and flipped on the small tv.

I hurried to the door ignoring my pain. All I wanted was to get out as fast as I could.

With the backpack weighing me down, I was much slower than usual. I eventually got to my bench under the willow in the park. When I got there, I plopped down making me shiver in pain. The sun was about to start setting, so I would have been here anyways if it was a work day. I looked up, admiring the sky, then laid down on my back. It was quiet for a little until I heard the sound of barking. A bit strange knowing that this was an abandoned park.

I saw a dog running up towards me. On instinct, I stood up but then fell due to the injuries. There was a man chasing the dog yelling, "England, come here, England!" The dog was still quite a ways away. I really wanted to move but my legs felt heavy as lead. The dog's sprint slowed as it got closer to me. Soon, it came to a full stop and just stared at me. I tried to get up again but the dog pounced on top of me. "England! Come here girl, Engl-" the man cut himself off and stared at me, too. "Dear lord! What happened to you?" the man had an English accent.

"Ah… Don't worry… Um, your, uh, dog…" I gestured to England.

"Don't mind him, we need to get you to a hospital. ASAP." The man took out his phone and dialed 911 and stared at me telling me that I need to stay with him. That became harder. My vision was turning dark but I tried to keep myself awake. "Sir, can you please tell me your name, please," he said with urgency in his voice.

"A-Alfr-fred... Al-fred F. J-Jones-s," I managed to get out. He nodded and continued on the phone. The man had blonde hair, brighter than mine, and green eyes that were like the forest on a summer day with literal forests above them. Before I passed out, I heard the blonde telling me the ambulance was on it's was here.


	2. Chapter 2

Before I knew it, I was in the hospital. The man who saved me was at the side of the bed looking at me with pure joy in his eyes. I reached up to take off my oxygen mask. "Thanks," I whispered, wanting it to be louder but my voice wouldn't let me get it any higher.

"Hey, Alfred, do you need some water?" he said already handing me some without my consent. I drank it anyways seeing how dry my throat felt. The water was gone in mere seconds. I sighed, feeling refreshed. "My name is Arthur, by the way, Arthur Kirkland," the self proclaimed 'Arthur' offered my a warm smile. I gave one back.

"Um… how long was I out?" my voice was louder than before, almost normal but still sounded hoarse. I had a coughing fit after talking though. Arthur patted my back softly, which made me feel better. When the coughs died down I smiled 'thanks' to him.

"You were out for around a day and a half. So not that long." I smiled to myself. He really did have a beautiful smile. There was a moment of silence before Arthur started to speak again. "I don't mean to be rude, but what happened if you don't mind telling me?"

I assumed he was going to ask anyways, but I still didn't feel like telling. For crying out loud, I have only known this man for what? Like a day? I guess it couldn't be too bad telling him one part. "I was thrown out of the house." I said quickly. He tilted his head not quite grasping what I had just said. I took in a deep breath, "I was also beaten by him."

Arthur was stunned. It looked like he had never heard anything so horrific. He didn't talk for the next few minutes. I expected him to say something like, "oh my gosh, I am so sorry," or , "that's absolutely terrible," or something similar. When he did talk he said, "well, you survived until now, so now you can actually start living." This time I was the one who was shocked.

"Oh, yeah I guess…" I started twiddling my thumbs, "I guess I could go try to find to find somewhere to live until I see Mattie again," I started to talk to myself as I looked to the ceiling. I wanted to see Mattie as soon as possible.

"Well, seeing as how you will need to be taken care of and right now you don't really have anyone, I could let you stay at my place," Arthur said scratching his cheek and blushing.

"I couldn't ask that of you. Not after all you have done for me," I really didn't want him to go through any trouble because of me. Plus he probably had a girlfriend, or he lived with his parents. "You don't need to do that. I've probably caused you a lot of trouble already"

"I live alone, so that wouldn't be a problem. I'm not in a relationship either, and my schedule is pretty clear, well, besides work. I can taken off for a couple of weeks cause I have sick days I have yet to use." It was like he actually wanted to take care of me. I really had no choice but to let him take care of me.

"Are you sure? I mean, I-I'm a complete stranger."

"That can be changed, though. Tell me about yourself." Arthur smiled.

"Oh… um… okay, where should I start?"

"The beginning. Maybe start when all the beatings started."

"I don't really know when. They started since I could remember, I guess. So I was like, around three or four?"

"Oh… wow, that sucks…" I nodded in agreement. From there on I told him any happy memory I ever had, which only happened when Mattie was around. I really didn't want to go into detail on what happened during beatings or that godforsaken rape. I told him all about Mattie and I, and how we were going to meet when we turned 18. Soon enough, he was telling his own story, about how when he was a kid his parents died when they were robbed. Every detail, every word, I felt mesmerized. The way his sweet voice soothed me like a lullaby. "Oh, did you fall asleep, Alfred?" along the way, I had nodded off to the beat of his voice.

"N-no, I'm just a little tired," I responded.

"That's okay. Visiting hours are almost over, but I'll come back tomorrow," he informed me, "and just so you know, you'll be released in a week depending how you are doing. Goodbye and sleep well."

"Bye," I was almost asleep, "thank you so, so much," and with that I was a sleeping.

When I woke up, my body ached a lot more than yesterday. I tried to reach my for my cup of water but that only made my arms and stomach throb in pain. My black eyes felt swollen but not to the point of them making my eyes shut… Well, at least one of them.

I waited anxiously for Arthur. Everytime I heard a sound outside the door, I looked at it hoping it would reveal Arthur. My hopes were smashed each time it was just a doctor or a nurse. Eventually, I just stared out the window for him to walk up to the building.

My doctor decided to take some tests to see if he missed anything. I was put on a gurney and wheeled past the waiting room. Arthur was there, and when he saw me he nearly knocked over a couple chairs getting to me.

"Alfred, thank god. I was getting anxious because they wouldn't let me in to see you!" His hand cupped over mine. It was warm and soft. I smiled.

"I was a little anxious, too. I started to think you forgot about me. I was really worrie-" Arthur cut in.

"Like I would forget you. So there is no need to worry," his voice got cracky, "please, don't think like that. How could I forget someone I saved?"

I stayed quiet while the doctors and nurses rolled me down the hall. Arthur was still by my side, so I just smiled at him. I just met the guy a couple days ago, a complete stranger, and now it's like we were inseparable. Glued together. Everytime I see him, my bruised stomach flutters with joy. I can't help not to smile when I'm around him.

When we got to the room, I said, "see ya, Arthur. I won't forget you, either. Not in a million years."

"Git, see you later as well."

I was in the room. I didn't know what they were going to do, but I just went along with it. They put me under anesthesia, so I had no clue what they were going to do with me.

A few hours later, I woke up. The first thing I saw was Arthur reading a book called _The Hobbit__. _His emerald green eyes looked up to me. Arthurs smile was warm and comforting, but at the same time sad. "How are you? Do you hurt anywhere?" His hand was holding mine.

"I am fine, seeing as how I'm alive right now. I do hurt though. Like, _everywhere,_" I joked.

"Do you want some pain pills?" he got a cup of water and placed it besides me and sat down with a small bottle in his hand, I assumed they were the pain pills. I nodded. He opened the bottle and shook out one pill. It was placed in my hand. I popped it into my mouth and took a drink of water.

"Thanks, Artie."

"Hm? That is not my name."

"I know. I just made up a nickname for you!" Artie looked at me in a disapproving look but said nothing. "Did the test results come in yet?" I tried to change the subject.

"Hm… Oh yes they did," he took out a folder that had a bunch of paperwork. " Nothing else came up besides what they already knew. So a couple broken ribs, internal bleeding, a torn ACL, a broken arm, a head injury, and a screwed up face." He chuckled at the last one, "You were pretty beat up, if I say so myself."

"So that's way everything hurts so much. I thought I just had a small little bruise on my stomach," I said sarcastically. He laughed. It was angelic. "Hey, don't you have work or something?"

"No." Arthur answered simply, "I took the next couple weeks off." I was genuinely surprised.

"Oh, wow… No one has ever done anything like this for me. Most people would just give up on me saying the they think I'm worthless," I looked away from Arthur, smiling inwardly.

"I don't think you're worthless. In fact, I just think that no one has ever bothered to get to know you. That's all," his words touched me. Not only has no one ever said that to me but they also made me feel all warm and fuzzy. "I don't think that you're worthless. You just haven't found out what you're good at yet."

I was speechless. Arthur had given me what I had always wanted, no… needed. Until now, I have only felt neglected. After everything that has happened to me, Arthur was by far the greatest. I don't know what it was about him, but I feel like I have known him for my whole life. I smiled a real smile in a long time.

"You are 17, right?" I nodded, "then I should probably call your school and tell them what is going on." I shook my head.

"No need. I already graduated. I was able to graduate early, so in December." I said, "if anything, I should call my work to tell them what's going on."

Arthur nodded, "what is your work number?"

"(***)228-6850 (A/N not a real number, but try to call it and see what happens! ^J^), it's Heta Bakery. One of the many Heta based businesses!" I gave him one of my happiest smiles.

He nodded and smiled politely, taking out his phone. He dialed the number I gave to him. "Do you want to talk to them or should I?" I thought for a moment.

"I think I should talk to them, considering they're my boss." Artie nodded and handed me his phone. It started to ring. I waited a few moments before they picked up.

"Hello, Heta Bakery. Ludwig speaking," a German voice came through.

"Oh, hey Ludwig. It's Alfred"

"Yes, hello, Alfred. Where have you been. You haven't showed up for work for the past two days."

"Um, yeah about that… I kind of in the hospital right now and didn't have the time to call you, so yeah. I won't be able to come to work for a few weeks."

"Oh, I see. You don't need to tell me what happened. Just feel better." With that he hung up. I gave Arthur back his phone and mumbled a 'thank you 'under my breath. He replied by nodding his head.

"Just out of curiosity, when do I get out of here?" I asked.

"They said that you could get out tomorrow morning," he thought for a moment, "speaking of which, I need to get my house ready for you to come over."

"Okay. What time is it."

"It's around 5:30, so I'd better get home. See you tomorrow. I'll be here around 8:30. got that." I nodded my head.

"Yeah, Iggy. I got it," when I called him, his face got all red then started to shout something about me being a git or a wanker or somthing along those lines. I started to tune everything else because all these pain pills make me really tired after I take one. I managed to say, "Good night, Iggy. I'm getting tired, but have a safe trip home…" the sleep caught up to as I said the last sentence.

"Good night, git." he said before leaving me.


	3. Chapter 3

~Arthur POV~

_I can't believe that I actually saved him._ I thought as I walked out of the door of his room. It was only a couple days ago that I found him on the park bench bleeding out, on the verge of death. His eyes looked almost dead. Lifeless. Hopeless. Hell, his eyes were still like that, even though he tries to mask it with that outrageous smile of his. He was lucky I got there when I did, otherwise he would have died. I wonder if that was why England decided to run. It was like he knew someone was hurt and I had to save them. I don't know. But there is something nostalgic about being around him. It's like we have been friends forever. Honestly, there is something about him… _something._ I can't put my finger on it, but it's like we were destined to meet. England could have run away going right past that park, but she didn't. Maybe it was the smell of blood that made her all jumpy. No matter the case, he has been saved and will live.

I don't know what came over me when I told him he was going to live with me. He must have friends he could live with. It's too late to take back the offer though. I guess it was just pity I asked him. Regardless, I need to get my house ready. I have an extra room he can live in while he's with me. Luckily I live in a one floor house and there's a lot of space for a wheelchair. Thank god I don't live with anyone.

By the time I was finished with my thoughts, I was already in front of my house. It has a small yard, but a large backyard. I have almost the whole forest behind my house. I even have a small garden in the back and front full of vegetables and fruits with flowers budding all along them. It really is a beautiful home.

Once the door was unlocked, I stepped it and set my jacket on the coat rack. It's still a bit chilly even though it is spring, but it did just rain. I made my way to the guest bedroom that Alfred will be sleeping in. It's the one right across my own. The room was dusty from under use, so I had to dust everything out.

When I finished putting the last touches in the room to make it presentable, I started to work on the rest of the house. When I was truly done cleaning, I made some tea and sat down on the couch in the living room. There was a flat screen tv on the wall surrounded by three pictures. One of my whole family including my jackass older brothers and my younger brother. Another just of me, then one of what people would usually see as a forest in summer, but I see that the picture is one of faeries and elves and many other things that people would classify as 'mythical'. That one is above the tv making it look 'normal' by their standards, with the pictures of people on the opposite sides of the tv. One of the main reasons I moved here is because there is a forest here and there is no one but me in this area. It's always nice and quiet here. I could be screaming bloody murder and no one would come for me.

It is now 9:30, so I'd better get to bed. I don't want to forget to wake up early to pick up Alfred.

~The Next Morning~

When I woke up, the sun was barely rising over the snowcapped mountains. It really is a beautiful sight to see when there aren't any cars rolling about and street lamps flickering on and off. Just a morning sun, ready to greet the brand new day. It was around 6:40 when it started to rise. I decided that I'd better get ready to go get Alfred from the hospital.

I took a quick shower, then got dressed in a pair of khaki pants, a light tan dress shirt, and a dark green sweater vest covering it. I wore a pair of brown shoes then headed to the kitchen. There wasn't much time before I had to leave for Alfred, so I managed with just a cup of tea and a piece of toast. Then I left.

It was about 7:30 when I left the house. Just enough time for me to get to the hospital.

I barely got there in time. It was 8:28 when I got there. I really don't want Alfred freaking out on me. I rushed into the hospital, ready to check Alfred out. When I got to the front desk, I got a visitors pass and headed to Alfred's room before checking him out.

"Alfred?" I said knocking on his door. As I walked in, I saw that Alfred was still asleep. I shook his shoulder lightly in hopes that he would wake up from his slumber. He stirred in his sleep. I have to say, he was quite attractive. Even in his sleep. _Wait_. What are you thinking Arthur. We only just met a few days ago. I can't go thinking that he is cute when asleep. Get that perverted thought out of your head!

He finally decided to wake up. His eyes blinked a few times before being able to comprehend I was standing here before him. When he realized, he gave me a warm smile. It made the butterflies in my stomach beat their wings furiously. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. "Hey, Iggy. Mornin'," he said in his groggy voice. My god was that sexy.

"Hello, git. It's 'morning' by the way," I said, "anyways, are you ready to leave, or do you need some time considering you just woke up."

"Whatever, I just want to get out of here. I'm sick of this food!" he looked at me with those hopeless eyes of his. I wanted to get them to spark up and be bright.

"Okay, okay. Just let me check you out, first," I said before walking out. I could hear a sigh coming from his the moment I completely left the room. I know something is up, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.

~Alfred POV~

When Artie left the room, I felt so relieved. I don't know why though. I guess I'm a little happy though. I'm happy he remembered to come and get me. When I was at the torture home, I was only there when my parents needed something or needed to beat the shit out of me. It wasn't any better at school before school ended. I was a bullied little wimp, who couldn't fend for himself. Everyday, I was bullied by this kid named Ivan. He was Russian. A commie. Truth be told, I don't know why I thought he was a good-for-nothing communist, I just thought he was. Even though school has ended, he still swings by after my working hours every now and then, and beats me. Luckily, not as bad as my parents, though. I would say it was a blessing that Iggy wiggled his way into my life. Without him, I probably would have been dead by now.

When Iggy came back from checking me out (Not in that way. Get your perverted heads out of your asses), I was dressed in one of the spare outfits I was able to bring before leaving. It consisted of worn blue jeans, a pair a running shoes that were falling apart and were a little too small for my taste, and a plain light green tee-shirt with a blue hoodie over it. I was put in a wheelchair and wheeled out to Iggy's car. It was small, but not too small. Just big enough to fit me in there along with my wheelchair in the trunk of it.

Artie got into the drivers seat and started to back out. It was one of those English cars you would see in England. I've never seen one. They're weird, but cool.

It was a bit of a long drive to Artie's house. I mean, it was in the middle of nowhere. And I mean that. Nowhere! How did he even find this place, it's so secluded from the rest of the world.

"Artie...um… Thanks, I mean for everything you have done for me. It means a lot…" I said quietly. My voice hasn't completely returned, but I could have raised it a little more, but I opted not to.

"It's my pleasure. Plus, it gets a tad lonely here, alone." I was kinda happy that he invited me to stay with him. I also have to admit that his house was really nice. Not only is it surrounded by a forest, but he has a beautiful garden in the front. Too bad no one hardly gets to see it.

He unlocked the door and wheeled me in. The inside of his house was beautiful, as well. His entire existence is downright beautiful. _Hold up._ Did I just call him beautiful? Yes, yes I did. He is fucking beautiful. I would totally f- What am I thinking? I just met the man and I'm saying that I would FUCK him? I didn't even think I was gay… I just don't know any more. Maybe, through everything that has happened, I got some brain damage that they missed. Yeah, that has to be it.

"Alfred, are you okay? Your face is turning red." I didn't even realize what I was doing up until now. I was just thinking that Arthur was really, REALLY attractive and contemplating if I was insane or just gay.

"Oh, y-yeah," I stuttered, "I-I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm-m, I'll be fine." I had no clue what was coming ever me. It was like every time I tried to say something to him, my tongue got twisted.

"Okay…" he trailed off, "I'm going to make some tea, would you like something?" I nodded.

"Could I have some water?" my voice shook harshly. He only smiled and went to the kitchen. His smile. _His smile._ It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But in a way, it seemed sad. Like it hurt him when he brought the corners of his mouth up. Somehow, he always has managed to smile around me. Is it because he had just met me and wants me to feel comfortable around him, or is it something more?

He came back a little while later with a cup in his hand. When it was placed in my hand, I chugged it down like my life depended on it.

"I'll show you to the room you will be staying in and some other things around the house." I nodded without saying anything.

My room was in a longish hallway. Arthur's room was right across from it. The bathroom was next to the room I was staying in so I guess that made it easier if I have to go in the middle of the night. The kitchen was right next to the living room which was there when you walk through the door. There were other rooms that aren't very important, but the house was BIG.

After I got all my stuff in my room, I settled in the living room. He had a flat screen hanging on the wall with three pictures around it. The top one caught my attention the most. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Arthur aside. But there were faeries and elves and many, many other "mythical creatures" in it. It was like they all posed for the photo. Could Arthur see them, too?

"Hey, Artie?" I asked him, "that photo. The one above the tv. I really like it."

"Oh, that old thing? Yeah, I guess it's pretty great…" he replied with a tinge of sadness in his voice, "it's actually one of my favourites."

"I can see why! I mean it looks like everyone is so happy. Everyone is smiling like they're all happy to be with you." He looked at me shell-shocked.

"You mean…" I nodded, "and you can," I nodded again. "So… so, I'm not c-crazy?" I shook my head.

"No, no! Why would anyone think that you were crazy?" silence befell us. "Anyways… I've been able to see them since I was little. Not since I could remember, but one day they just appeared before me when I tried escaping from my parents. This time Mattie and I were only around 5. We never really thought of leaving our parents until we were older. All we wanted to do was play with each other. But yeah, I can see them…" Another awkward silence surrounded us.

"That's amazing. I have never met another person who can see them but myself..." Arthur's voice sounded so cheerful it made me want to cry. The way his eyes light up and how his entire aura changes. "You know there is a reason that I moved out here… It was because a) I could be alone and b) I could be with all of my friends. They're are the ones that have always been there for me in my rough times. I was always able to see them. They were always there to comfort me in my time of need."

I smiled softly. I took his hand and squeezed it a little. "It's nice to know you weren't always alone."

"I could say the same thing to you, git." We just sat there for a little while, holding each others' hand and soaking in the beautiful moment. After a couple minutes of pleasant silence, Arthur let go of my hand. "Well, I guess I need to make some supper. I hope you don't mind a packaged dinner. I'm trying to get rid of all the food so I can go grocery shopping in bulk."

After we finished our dinner and cleaned up, we went to our respected bedrooms. I layed on the bed in the dark staring at the ceiling. My thoughts kept wandering around my brain. They ranged from "how long am I going to be out from work?" to "am I developing feelings for a man I met no less that three days ago?" Then came one thought that really had importance; Mattie. How has he been doing? I really hope he hasn't gotten himself hurt. Where did he go? I really wish I knew.

The darkness around me slowly got darker and darker until I was no longer conscious. The last thing I could hear before sleep overtook my body was the soft breathing of the beautiful, thick-browed man from across the hall.

* * *

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